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Fenric Clans
Summary The Fenric Clans are tribes of half-elves who have domesticated bears and giant wolves as mounts and weapons. They are a highly fractious society, prone to blood feuds, pillaging, and kidnapping. Fenric are most noted for their ability to communicate and subdue wild forest creatures. Bears, wolves, lynx, foxes, and even wolverines have been trained to serve the Fenric. It is rumored that they can even see through the animals' eyes and shape-change. History The history of the Fenric Clans is comes tragedy. They are the offspring of early humans meeting northern elves. For a time humans, elves,and their half-elven heirs lived in peace. When the War of the Children erupted, things took a darker turn. Man and fey slaughtered each other in field and fen, while half-elves were forced to pick sides. A few chose neither. These half-elves swore an oath to Guddjur the god of the wild. In exchange, they gained great power in the gloaming of the dark woods. With the His blessing, the half-elves used their power to drive off both men and fey from the forest--sometimes even their own mothers and father. Some half-elves used subterfuge, hiding away from their forefathers. Others used brutality and terror, killing anyone who crossed their path. But they held the forests, as the war burned through Cetemar. Their descendants are now known as the Fenric. Society and Culture What once united Fenric now tears them apart. Their survival instinct is now used against each other. Assassination, sabotage, kidnapping, and theft are the norm. Fenric are deeply suspicious of one another, always trying to get the upper hand over rival families. These murderous feuds have continued for centuries. Even worse, Fenric clans consider anyone outside of their own families as foes, even prey. Outsiders enter Fenric lands at great risk. Housing Fenric families live together in fortified camps based around stumps and fallen limbs of giant conifers. The camps are selected for high ground, defensibility, and other tactical concerns. The Fenric cut no trees themselves, gathering only what they need from fallen branches and underbrush, so every building is made from found wood. Each camp has a central hall where everyone sleeps. It is secured at night against intruders, and has an escape tunnel. surrounding the hall are various work huts and storage pits, interspersed with wolf kennels or bear enclosures. Surrounding the camp are typically walls of timber, river rock, and thorn bushes. Older camps sometimes have moats. Every camp has a night guard of scouts and pets who watch in the canopy above. Relationships and Family Life Fenric have a fluid concept of marriage; and the society is highly patriarchal by nature. Depending on clan, women will be treated little better than chattel, to being accepted as near-equals. This leads to Fenric men having as many as twenty wives, some of whom were taken against their will. Men may divorce. Women may not. Wives are sorted into three categories: Ger, Ottrad, and Entrad. Ger-wives have been stolen from other clans. Trad-wives have been traded within a clan "En," or traded for outside of a clan, "Ot." Entrad wives maintain the highest status, because they are technically family. Ottrad rank second. They have value in that they were probably part of a larger bargain. Ger-wives have the lowest status. They often try to escape. Children are property of the father. Boys are prized. Girls are not. (it is common that girls are released to their mothers upon divorce). Sons of powerful warriors fight among themselves for the honor to follow their father on his raids. Weak children do not survive long. Elderly men are few among the Fenric clans. Clan members elevate their position by raids, personal combat, and outright war. Old men are either revered for their skill, or despised for their cowardice. Elderly women hold high status, relative to other women. Their ability to survive, and wisdom is prized. Laws Within the Clan camps there are a few key rules: * "Blood may not draw blood." Clan members may not attack one another. (There have been reports of clan members skirting this rule, using wrestling, bludgeoning, or strangulation) * "A son is of the husband." ''Clan men may mate with other men's wives. The resulting progeny is property of the cuckolded husband--not the actual father. * ''"All things return to Clan." ''When a clan member dies, his goods are shared out to the clan. * ''"Clan over one." Within the camp, the needs of the community overrule the needs of an individual. * ''"That is bought, must be paid." ''If a Clan member takes or destroys a possession of a fellow member, he must pay for what he has "bought." This includes the occasional killing of slaves and wives. Outside of Clan camps there are even fewer rules: * No killing with fire (it will bring the wrath of the gods) * No poisoning of water (poisoning may kill unintended individuals, and make them inedible) * There shall be no waste: that is killed is food. (wanton slaughter is forbidden). Beyond that, all non-blood Fenric and outsiders may be attacked, taken as slaves, or killed. Other Clans and their encampments may be taken or destroyed. Any food is taken by the strongest or the shrewdest. Food Fenric depend on the forest for almost all of their food. They harvest everything from edible roots, fungus, and pine nuts to all forms of game. Competition over territories and hunting rights has led to many feuds. Some Fenric clans are rumored to hunt "Dhacos Faoil," "two-leg meat": people. It is unclear if this meat is fed to their animals or eaten by clan members. Category:Cultures Religion and Magic The Fenric follow a manifestation of Guddjar, god of beasts, who they call Ulfur. Every Fenric clan has one head cleric. Anyone else called by the gods must fight the incumbent cleric to death or submission. Powerful clerics often have several lesser men enthralled to them. Magic outside of the faith is forbidden. No written magic is permitted. Persons with innate magic power try their best to suppress it, or attempt to escape their clan. Warfare Fenric don't generally fight in an organized fashion. Alliances are fleeting, held only over the winter war months. That said, the Fenric warriors are tenacious and vicious, capable of raiding hundreds of miles outside of their lands. The Fellmark has lost legions of orks in ill-fated missions to crush the Fenric. Fenric subsist on lightning raids and ambushes. They do not sustain sieges or attempt head-to-head combat against organized foes. With limited arms, their greatest allies are the woods and the weather. Fenric can survive and fight in deep winter. When other armies are huddled, shivering around fires, the Fenric are on the prowl. Location The Fenric are spread about a vast area of northern Leviatha and Theamyr. The center of their territory is Hyrkania Island. They live between the Dvarg Sea and mountains, in the tundra, alder thickets, and the deep ancient woods of the boreal forest. Estimated Numbers There are thought to be over 100 family clans spread over three different island regions, totaling over 60,000 souls Known Towns The Fenric are a semi-nomadic society, having no permanent settlements. Allies The Fenric are allied to the Forgeborn of their region. They gather seal and fish oils for the iron-constructs. The Forgeborn provide the Fenric with iron tools and weapons. They are loosely allied to the Cete tribes of the Dvarg Sea. The Fenric trade amber and wood; and the Cete trade shell, medicines, and serve as messengers to the wider world. The Fenric used to be allied to Toemb, the dwarven homeland. But, since the rulers of Toemb closed the Isen Turen (Iron Gates), there has been no trade in decades. Foes The Fenric peoples are at constant war with the Orkik empire of the Fell Mark. Although both are fellow survivors of war, both fight for the limited resources in northern Leviatha and Theamyr. The orks have the upper hand in the summer months, having a fleet of war barges. The Fenric have the advantage in the winter, using dog sleds and warg mounts to raid deep into the eastern frontier of the Fell Mark. The Oinon Volnov, or Deer People, are also ancient rivals of the Fenric. They too compete for land and food in the north. There have been many treaties between the peoples, but the Fenric are notorious for breaking them. The ice giants are also a constant threat to the Fenric. They raid from the north to catch food and slaves. Characters Gutter Peace, Fenric Warlord Comments "Fight or flee, all food to me" --War chant of the Fenric "These woods smell of blood spilt. You enter at your own peril." --Ruduo the Aged; Druid of the Northern Hedge "The flesh ones fight and kill to no end and no avail." --Report of Axis 7.5.1 Model of Pergis, Forgeborn TraderCategory:Cultures